


Fright Night

by CantSpeakFae



Series: The Wretched And Divine [3]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Ethan and Rupert are competitive, Everyone else is caught in the crossfire, Fluff and Angst, Halloween Special!, Implied/Referenced Child Neglect, Pocket Sized Disaster Children, Ripper's Gang but as nine-year-olds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-07-29 09:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16261706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CantSpeakFae/pseuds/CantSpeakFae
Summary: In which Ethan and Rupert's rivalry sends them to a haunted house... and may cause them not one, but TWO friends.ORThe Halloween Special no one asked for, where the kids try to spend the night in a haunted house to win a bucket of free candy for their respective team.





	1. The Wager

“Ugh, there are leaves on the floor again,” Deirdre says, sitting gingerly on the floor of their clubhouse. Fall is no longer just beginning to creep up on them; it has arrived with a vengeance and it took a lot of pleading to get Dee to even _consider_ coming, this afternoon, and so far all she’s done is complain to whoever would listen to her.

Mostly to Randall, then, because he’s the only one kind enough to still pretend that her whining doesn’t bother him. Even Rupert, who's been taught the importance of civility and valor since he was born, is starting to lose his patience with her and it’s lucky for everyone involved that Philip - the only remaining missing member - comes creeping in just moments later, panting with exertion as though he’d run all the way there.

“S-sorry!” He said, through chattering teeth. Water dripped down his coat and from his hair. “Mum didn’t want me out in the rain… I had to go fast when she answered the phone.”

He dropped down onto the floor, and Thomas inched back away from the space heater, giving Philip better access to dry off.

Everyone looked expectantly at Rupert, who felt an odd flutter in his stomach. Though these had been his friends since the end of summer, now, he never quite got used to his nominated role as “leader”. At home, he was to be seen… and never heard. But here? Everyone wanted him to use his voice and he so rarely had any idea what to say.

Especially today, since it wasn’t his idea to call a meeting. But he knocked their “gavel” - a hammer-shaped piece of stone - against the floor, anyway, and cleared his throat.

“We’re all here now…” He began, trying to puff out his chest and make himself look more impressive, the same way that his father does when he’s talking to someone from “The Council”. “So we can get started. Ethan - you were the one who asked us to meet here. You can take the floor.”

Technically, they can all take the floor. That’s where they sit for meetings, so there’s no squabbling over couch space during an important conversation. But Ethan rises, quickly, to his feet and nudges Rupert out of the way without mentioning any of that, so maybe it really only matters to him.

Rupert takes his seat, settling next to Randall and gazing up at Ethan with the same curiosity that everyone else was feeling.

“Ladies and gents!” Ethan said, his high-pitched warble struggling to boom like a commercial announcer. “Halloween approaches! And it’s time to talk plans. Thanks to our dear colonies, the tradition of handing out _free_ candy has slowly started to become part of our society and we have to start brainstorming for ways to get the maximum amount of sugar. Not everyone in our neighborhood is interested in the event, but some are and I have devised -”

Ethan rustled around with his coat, for a minute, finally pulling out a folded up bit of paper. He unfolded it and whipped it outright with a flourish, showing an illustration of childish scribbles and streets marked with wobbling handwriting.

“What is it?” Thomas asked, rising up onto his knees to lean forward and squint at it.

Ethan yanked it back, holding it conspiratorially close to his chest.

“It’s a map.” He said, keeping the ominous warble. “A treasure map. Every home that will be giving out candy is on it - and it’s our key to a sugar high we never come back down from.”

“...You know you guys can just _buy_ sweets, right?” Alice asked, from her designated spot in the back. Unofficial member though she was, she also acted as a voice of reason… and a chaperone to let them cross the street.

“It’s not the _same_ ,” Ethan said, disgruntled, but unwilling to let any disruption get in the way of his elaborate announcement. “Why should we buy candy if someone else already has? Now, I have this map. But we need a strategy to make sure we get the maximum amount of candy to pool at the end - 80% for me, because it was my idea, and 20% for your guys for helping to haul it.”

“ _Ethan_ ,” Rupert said, stressing his name. He knew this was coming - E didn’t exactly play well with others and most of his “ideas” had him coming out on top while everyone else was used as the stepladder for him to reach it. “If we’re doing this together, we’re sharing evenly.”

“That’s why  _he’s_ the leader,” Dee said, folding her arms over her chest.

Ethan’s expression soured.

“Fine.” He muttered, sensing a lost cause.

He’d almost been about to put his map back, probably so he could go sulk until they offered him a bigger portion in exchange for him being their friend, again, but Thomas was quicker. He lunged forward and snagged the paper out of Ethan’s hands and scurried away, unfolding it and looking it over.

“HEY!” Ethan shrieked, lunging after him, but Thomas was just a touch quicker.

He scrambled over the couch and ducked behind it, studying the map like his life depended on it, and then popping back up like a jack-in-the-box, his eyes wide and his lips pressed into a frown.

“Ethan.” He said, in as serious a voice as Rupert had ever heard him use. “Why do the streets lead to the Holder house?”

Ethan lunged, a second time, ripping the map from Thomas’ grasp and stuffing it back into his coat. He coughed and sputtered, clearly caught without an excuse or way to explain it away - and Rupert suddenly had a sinking feeling why Ethan had been trying to hide the map.

“Ethan, we _can’t_ go to the Holder house!” He said, banging his faux-gavel against the ground to regain order. “It’s _haunted_.”

Everyone gasped. Even Alice looked up from her book, though it was mostly just to cluck her tongue at them.

“Pretend trick-or-treating to lead your unsuspecting friends into a demon-infested death house? Bold move.”

“...death house?” Randall repeated, so softly that he almost wasn’t audible.

“I was going to wait until you were older to give you the talk,” Alice said, not sounding too sorry.

Rupert banged the rock down again.

“Shh!” He said. “Ethan, we’re not gonna do that. We can get candy, but no haunted houses.”

“ _Yes_ haunted houses!” Ethan argued, reaching over to try and wrestle the gavel from Rupert’s hands. “Think about it! We’d be the youngest people _ever_ to stay the night at the Holder house - I heard some people talking about it. No one our age has ever gone in. We’d be famous!”

“Yeah, famous for _dying_ ,” Dee said, shaking her head resolutely. “It’s not for kids for a reason.”

“Why? ‘Cause bigger ones said so?” Ethan asked, kicking at the ground. “We can still get candy. We’ll just do it before.”

Ethan suddenly shot a look in Rupert's direction. A look that Rupert was sure he didn’t like.

“We can even make it a bet.”

Now, Rupert was _positive_ he didn’t like that look on Ethan’s face. He liked his own, sudden interest even _less_. Ever since they’d met, everyone between him and Ethan ended in a competition one way or another. (Even before the park, but they didn’t talk about that, much.) And as much as Rupert didn’t want to go to that house, he wanted to lose a bet even less.

“What kind of bet?” Rupert asked, in spite of himself.

A chorus of groans rang out. Dee slumped down onto the ground and stared up at the ceiling. Philip rolled his eyes and Randall and Thomas gave each other a “look”. They all knew what was coming. There’d been no way out of it; not since the second Ethan said “bet”.

“We’ll go for candy,” Ethan said, a bright smile curling his lips. He knew he had Rupert right where he wanted him. “And then we go to the house. We’ll split up into teams - and the team to stay the longest in the house wins all the candy.”

“Rupert, I really don’t think this is a good id-” Phil started to say, but it was too late.

“You’re on!” Rupert said, urged on more by the idea of winning than he was by the candy. “But, we need rules.”

“Obviously.”

“No one gets Alice on their team,” Rupert said, firmly, ignoring the scandalized look Randall gave him. “She’s too old - she won’t be as easy to scare.”

“Agreed.”

“And...and, uh…”

Rupert thought for a minute.

“We pick teams like for tag.

“Okay. I get to pick first, because it was _my_ idea.” Ethan countered, stepping forward before Rupert could agree or disagree. “And I pick...Tom.”

“You’re both looney,” Thomas said, irritable, but not disagreeing.

None of them would. As Rupert and Ethan went, so went their nation. It was part of the life of the club. Everyone knew it, even if they didn’t say it.

“Phil.” Rupert said, and Philip whooped with joy.

“Yes!”

He paused, realizing how loud he had been… and blushed.

“I mean...cool. Thanks.”

Ethan grimaced, clearly unhappy, and sized Randall and Dee up with his eyes.

“Well, do you want the girl or the coward?” Ethan asked Rupert, gesturing from Dee to Randall.

Their expressions shifted from wary to enraged in less than half a second. A new record, even for Ethan.

“Hey!” Dee said, throwing a handful of leaves at Ethan. They didn’t get far. “That’s mean!

“I’m not a coward!” Randall said.

His gaze shifted to Rupert’s, his lower lip jutting out, silently waiting for him to dutifully correct Ethan - vouch for his bravery… but Rupert couldn’t.

He liked Randall. He was a good friend, so far, and really easy to talk to. But Randall _was_ scared of a lot of things. Like water and spiders. He couldn’t imagine his gentle friend lasting more than five seconds in a haunted house. Dee was probably tougher than him… but she was still a bird, too. And girls weren’t as brave as boys.

So, Rupert just looked away. Dropping Randall’s gaze.

“It’s not a win either way.” Ethan continued. “They’re going to slow us down.”

“No we won’t!” Dee said. “I bet we’re both -”

“Not going.” Randall finished, interrupting Dee.

His face had turned red when Rupert looked away and his expression was sour like he’d just swallowed a lemon. He rose to his feet and dusted himself off, gesturing for Dee to do the same.

“We’re not going.” He mumbled, his lips hardly moving and he was valiantly stopping himself from whining. “Dee, you can come over to my house. We’ll watch movies instead and they can go to their stupid, scary house.”

“You’re letting her go to your house?” Rupert asked before he could stop himself. He’d never been invited, over!

“That’s cool with me,” Alice said, standing too.

She hadn’t said much in Randall’s defense… but Rupert wasn’t sure if that was because she didn’t want Randall at the haunted house or if it was because she wanted him to work through it himself. Either way, she was amicable and pulled Randall back against her, squeezing his shoulders.

“Da will probably be away and mum’ll sleep, so I can get you guys PG 13 flicks. Gore and at least one f-bomb.”

“Cool!” Dee said, shooting a smug smile in the other’s direction.

Randall didn’t look at any of them. His face was still red.

“I wanna go home.” He said, to Alice.

“Randall -” Rupert started to say, his stomach twisting.

He hadn’t meant to hurt their feelings… he thought they _knew_ that they couldn’t be brave like them. Why did it have to be so bad?

But he couldn’t explain any of his twisting thoughts. Randall was already stomping out and Dee was following behind, also willing to call it an early day rather than be left with the group that had voted them off of the island.

The door slammed behind them.

...And then opened, immediately, Alice peeking back in.

“Uh, I have to walk all of you home. I don’t know what they were thinking with the dramatic exit - you guys are nine and melodrama will get you killed. Come on.”

She held the door open and they all shuffled out, too.


	2. The Plan

Neither Randall nor Dee were strictly on speaking terms with any of the others by the time that Halloween came around, and it was beginning to make Rupert a little sick to his stomach. They still came around the club, yes, but hardly spoke to the others and instead kept to their own, little corner where they mostly conspired amongst themselves in whispers and only got louder to remark on their own plans whenever Ethan started to talk about the trip to the Holder house.

That was something that Ethan did often, so every day devolved into a screaming match between him and Dee, as they battled for the spotlight.

It got so bad that Rupert was seriously considering calling the whole thing off. He missed Randall. He missed Dee. The group wasn’t the same when they were divided like this… the “us” vs. “them” mentality that had been adopted by everyone was stressful and hurt all of their feelings… but, Ethan wouldn’t hear any talk like that. Every time that Rupert tried to nudge him away from the idea, Ethan got defensive.

And the last time, the night before Halloween, Ethan finally lost his patience completely.

“Why do you care?” Ethan jeered, looking up from where he was gluing the finishing touches to his homemade Halloween costume. It was a t-shirt with googly eyes all over it. Ripper wasn’t sure what for. “They’re being babies about it.”

And Ethan practically shouted the word “babies” in the direction where Randall and Dee were sitting, scribbling against a blank piece of paper and whispering back and forth. They didn’t even look over, but Rupert’s face still felt hot. He didn’t want them to know that he’d been talking about it.

“I want us to all be friends, again.” He said, as evenly as he could manage.

He slumped down to the floor, glumly resting his head against his hand.

“We never stopped being friends,” Ethan said, a mean glint in his eyes. “They’ll be friends with whoever wins, I bet, ‘cause they’ll want the candy.”

“They will not! C’mon, it’s a dumb idea anyway. How are we even going to get in the Holder house? Alice won’t help cause Randall’s not part of it.”

“We don’t need Randy or his dumb older -”

SMACK.

A green crayon hit Ethan in the back of his head, flung by Randall. Ethan scowled but quickly amended his statement before Randall could find anything bigger to toss at him. 

“- or Alice. I have a plan. And it’s a perfect plan, so stop being a baby.”

“But -”

“If you want to forfeit, just say so!” He snapped. “But then I get all of the candy and you get to spend the rest of the year knowing that you lost.”

Rupert’s expression soured. As much as he wanted to have his friends back, he wanted to win too. And, to his niggling sense of shame, he wanted to win just a little more than he wanted to apologize. At least winning the competition meant he could get candy. There was no promise that Randall or Dee would forgive him, anyway. And he silently promised to himself that he would share his candy with the both of them and win them back as his friends once this was over.

Besides. The plans had been made, he rationalized, to combat the remaining guilt that was bubbling in his stomach. Rupert, Thomas, and Phil had already spoken to their parents, pleading for a “sleepover” at Ethan’s home. It had taken a considerable amount of work to get Rupert’s father to agree, and much of the nudging had come from his grandmother. He couldn’t go back on that, could he? Ethan had promised that his Aunt Matilda would be none the wiser to their adventure, giving them as much time as needed to spend in the Holder House.

They’d never have a chance so perfect, again. But doubt still showed on his face, even as he nodded.

Ethan threw up his hands.

“Oi! You two!” He snapped, chucking the crayon back at Randall. It bounced off his arm. “We’re feeling generous. You two could still come along…Dee, I’ll even let you on my team.”

Deirdre turned up her nose and looked away. Randall met Rupert’s gaze.

“We don’t _want_ to come,” Randall said, in the fiercest tone that he’d ever used. “We have our own plans. Better plans.”

“Scary movies?” Ethan asked, rolling his eyes. “Bo-oo-ring.”

Randall’s expression didn’t falter.

“...C’mon, Randy.” Rupert said, softly. “C’mon, don’t you wanna be friends again?”

Now his expression faltered. But Dee tugged him back.

“We don’t wanna be friends with anyone who doesn’t value us!” She said, firmly. “Alice says that we shouldn’t let anyone make us feel bad for being who we are!”

“Hell yeah!” Alice cheered, not glancing up from where she was seated in the corner, doing her homework.

“Don’t look sad, Rupert,” Ethan said, nudging him. “We’re not missing anything with them. And we can watch movies at _my_ house after you and Phil give up in ten minutes.”

Rupert’s teeth clenched, Ethan’s goading reaffirming his choice to go through with this.

They’d forgive him eventually, right?

 

...Right?

 

* * *

 

Randall tried very hard not to frown as Rupert went back to planning his dumb night with Ethan, and drew a line of blue so hard onto the paper that the crayon almost snapped in half and Deirdre fixed him with a “look”. The same “look” that Alice would get whenever he ran in the house and almost knocked over a vase or spilled half of his cereal onto the table. And Randall started to blush.

“Hey!” Dee said, pulling the paper back so that Randall couldn’t ruin their hard work. “Be careful!”

“Sorry.”

Randall mumbled, dropping his eyes down to the floor and ignoring how loudly Ethan was discussing his plans, now. Randall liked Ethan, he was fun to play games with, but right now he was mad at him. He was mad at all of them. Ethan, Rupert, Thomas, and Phil. They were being so unfair.

His glum feelings must have been evident because Dee nudged him and offered a sympathetic smile.

“Don’t be sad. We have better plans than they do, remember?”

“I know,” Randall said, chewing on his bottom lip. “But… I miss being friends with them.”

“We can be friends again,” Dee said, lightly. “When they admit that we’re just as good as them. Maybe even better. Until then, it’s just us. Don’t you like being friends with me?”

Of course, he did. Dee was nice, and loud, and funny. But she wasn’t the same as all the rest of them. He liked being friends with _everyone_. There was something nice about belonging to a group. Something that made his insides feel warm.

And there was something not-so-nice about the feeling that came from finding out that they all thought he was a _baby_. Just cause he couldn’t swim and didn’t like spiders. But lots of kids don’t know how to swim! And Randall knows that he’s a tough boy. He’s a brave boy every time that Mamma holds him under the water and a brave boy whenever she yells, and a brave boy whenever she has strange friends over. Alice tells him so. And if he could just tell them how brave he is, and how strong he can be, then they wouldn’t have been so mean.

But he can’t. Alice says that they can’t.

So, he settles for colouring a little more than trusting that Dee knows what she’s talking about. That his idea is a good one and that they’ll prove how strong they are one way or another.

And then everyone will be alright, again. Won’t they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short update! The long one is coming tomorrow, I promise. Consider this to be an intermission.


	3. The Holder House

The sun had started its descent behind the buildings in the distance, gradually giving way to a pleasantly cool evening. As such, the costumed toddlers that had been wandering the streets in search of candy were whisked away inside by their exhausted mothers and street lights were beginning to flicker on with a low, electric buzz that fell in rhythm with the passing cars. For a few moments, the whole of London seemed to be soothed by the tranquility…

And then came the footsteps.

The laughter rang out in peals, prompting an agitated few to slam their windows shut. Curtains were drawn and knowing glances exchanged among those who were still in the street. Halloween may not have ever been as big a hit here as it was in the States, but there were still those - angry teenagers and excitable young children, mostly - who enjoyed the fun and mischief that the holiday brought.

“Hurry up!” Ethan said, easily keeping himself ten paces ahead of the rest of them. He moved with strong sure strides, eyes already locked on the house in the distance.

It was easily the largest home on the street, sitting just at the end of the lane. Once a lavish-looking manor, it was now only held together by the overgrowth of ivy and moss. Some of its windows were boarded shut and marked with faded graffiti, tiles were missing from its roof, and its lawn was in desperate need of a trimming. It looked just as a haunted house should...and maybe that was why the other boys were starting to slow down.

“...Are you sure this is a good idea?” Thomas asked, falling back from a near sprint to a casual jog.

The others murmured in agreement, suddenly thinking of their warm beds and the dinner that they could be having back at Ethan’s Aunt’s home. Much more appealing things than a cold night spent on a dusty floor, with no food to eat but the junk that they’d slipped into their backpacks. But they all shut up when Ethan stopped running and instead looked back at them. He walked toward the Thomas until they were nose-to-nose.

“Why? Are you scared?” Ethan asked, annoyed. Thomas was on his team. He couldn’t be backing out now.

“No,” Thomas said, quietly. “Just not interested in being arrested for breaking and entering.”

Ethan laughed in his face, glancing around at the other boy’s to make sure that they were doing it too. They started up after a beat too long, making the chorus of jeering seem forced. Ethan ignored that.

“Hey, if you want to go home crying to your mummy, no one here is going to stop you.” He said, dismissively. “I can win without you.”

“But I thought we all had to-”

Philip started to say, only falling silent again when Ripper elbowed him in the ribs. They all stared at the Thomas, waiting to see if he’d actually leave; wondering what Ethan would do if he tried to. But he didn’t move. Ethan grinned victoriously, clapping him on the shoulder.

“That’s more like it. Now, come on. We’re supposed to be inside before the sun sets. Otherwise, it doesn’t count.”

They all started moving again, barely masking their reluctance behind nervous grins and shaky laughter. For all their talk, very few of them were feeling brave while looking at the house up close.

“I bet Randall and Dee are sorry they didn’t come,” Ruper muttered, nervously, as he pushed open the gate.

“Yeah. I bet they’re just sitting at home… watching dumb movies.”

“They’re babies.” Thomas agreed, already forgetting that he’d nearly run two minutes ago.

They carried on, uncertainly, up the sidewalk and to the front door, looking around nervously to see if anyone was watching them. It seemed deserted, and so they pressed on. Reaching up to the doorknob and turning it. Holding their breath and hoping that the door wouldn’t open.

But it did.

The inside of the Holder house was unnaturally cold and incredibly dark, even with the faint light that crept in through the open door. Suppressing a shiver, Ethan started to feel along the wall for a light switch of some kind. His fingers brushed against something wet, instead, and he jumped back with disgust, desperately wiping his hand against his pants.

“What was that?” He croaked out, the question slipping out before he could stop himself from asking. Rupert was the second one to enter, pushed forward by the other three boys, and he gave Ethan a look that, even in the waning light, could only be called ‘condescending’. He pulled something from his pocket -- a tiny flashlight -- and shined it at the wall.

“It’s just water. Look.”

Ethan took a step closer, against his better judgment. It really was just water; leaking down from somewhere upstairs.

“I knew that.” He said, hastily. “Help me find a light switch.”

“No use in that,” Rupert said, turning the light around in what must be the sitting room.

There was a threadbare couch in the corner and a coffee table beside it, covered in a thick layer of dust. An end table was lying on its side and there was some glass on the thick rug, that seemed to have come from a soda bottle. A faded logo could be seen in the pieces. Philip and Tomas finally slipped inside after them.

“What do you mean ‘no use’?” Ethan asked, sliding his backpack off of his shoulders and setting it onto the floor. He had his own flashlight stashed away, somewhere...along with a pile of Twinkies, a few cans of soda, and a bag of chips.

“There’s no electricity in this place,” Rupert said. Ethan couldn’t see his face anymore, but he sounded annoyed. “I doubt anyone has been paying the bill. Isn’t that why we brought flashlights?”

“E just wanted them for ambiance.” Thomas sniggered, earning himself a glare.

“Let’s set up camp,” Ethan said loudly, speaking over the laughter. “And then we can start exploring. Someone told me that there are still bloodstains in the bedrooms.”

That shut everyone up and put a smug grin on Ethan’s face. It was about time that they started to remember who was really in charge here.

“Do...do we have to explore?” Thomas asked. “I’m hungry. And tired. I thought we’d just eat and hang out here.”

“I could eat.” Philip chimed in, already rifling through his bag and pulling out handfuls of snack food.

“No! No eating.”

Ethan barreled across the room, grabbing all of the food and carrying it over to the coffee table, dropping it on top of it.

“If this was just about eating snacks and hanging out, we’d do it at our own houses. Exploration is part of the wager. So roll out your sleeping bags, and let’s-”

He stopped talking abruptly at the sudden creaking noise that sounded out above them. A thumping sound like footsteps echoing down the stairs. They all froze, staring at each other without speaking for a long time. The sound didn’t happen again, and Thomas broke the silence first.

“...What was that?” He asked, his face so pale that he almost glowed in the dark.

“The foundation was settling,” Rupert said, firmly, when Ethan didn’t have an answer. “That happens in old houses like these.”

“But it sounded like someone was walking…”

“It was probably a squirrel,” Ethan said, talking over Philip and Ethan. “Or a raccoon. This place has been empty for a long time.”

“...You still want to explore?” Thomas asked, sounding hopeful that the answer would be ‘no’. They all looked to him and Ethan squared his shoulders.

“It’s the wager.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

“If you get it, then let’s go.”

“I thought you said we were going to set up-”

“That was before you all started to try and wimp out on me. Come on. We’re doing this now.”

He started for the staircase, looking back behind him to make sure that they were following. They were, but with reluctance written plainly on their faces. Thomas was holding his flashlight like a club, looking as though he was ready to bash someone over the head with it. For a moment, Ethan considered telling him that the odds of that being useful against a ghost were slim to none...but the word ‘ghost’ made him feel strangely cold inside, so he didn’t say anything.

The stairs creaked under their feet, the sound echoing throughout the whole manor.

“The kids' bedroom is on the second floor,” Ethan said, conversationally, to break the unnerving silence. “I think that’s they say, anyway.”

“That where they were...you know…?”

Philip slid his index finger across his throat. Ethan couldn’t see him do it, but the unasked question was clear in his voice.

“One of them.” He answered, right as he stepped onto the second level. “The other one was in the bath. We’ll have to scope that out too. Mr. and Mrs. Holder’s room is on the third floor, and the maid was shot in the laundry room -- I think that’s down in the basement.”

“The basement?” Rupert asked, suddenly shoving Ethan. “You didn’t say that we had to go into the basement.”

“We have to explore the entire house! How many times do I have to say that? No one made you come here.” Ethan reminded him, venomously. “This is how the bet goes. If you don’t like it, then leave and admit that you lose.”

“Maybe we should all go,” Thomas said, looking around the second landing with a nervous expression. His gaze settled on the door that led into what was probably a bedroom. “Rupert’s right...this seems kind of bad.”

“Shut up. You just want to leave because you’re scared.”

“I’m not scared!”

“Prove it.”

Ethan whirled around, nearly getting blinded by the light of their flashlights.

“There are three places up here to explore. The kid’s bedroom, the Master, and the bathroom. We can split up. Two of us look at one room, two of us look at the other one.”

“What?”

“Yeah. That’s why we’re here!” Ethan said, with a shrug. “That’s why we have teams.”

He reached out, grabbing Thomas by his arm and pulling him across the space between them.

“We going to the kid’s bedroom. You guys go somewhere else. And remember, the first one to get scared loses.”

Rupert grimaced but then squared his shoulders and nodded.

The game was on.

 

* * *

 

Where Ethan had been imaging an oozing puddle on the floor or seeping out of the wall...the bloodstain in the children’s room wasn’t much at all. It was just that -- a stain. Faded over the years and hard to see, even with the light of the flashlight directly on it.

Still, he did his best to talk it up.

“I heard that the new owners painted this wall six times, but still couldn’t hide the blood.”

“Are you sure it’s blood? Maybe it’s just water damage.” Thomas said, looking deeply unimpressed.

“It's blood. It matches the forensics.”

Actually, he had no idea if that was true or not. But it sounded like it was. It had to be. There was nothing else interesting in the room to look at. The only other thing in there was a bed frame that had been stripped of everything but a rotting old mattress.

“This is boring. I’m going to go see if Rupert and Phil found anything interesting.” Thomas decided. He started to step away, but Ethan caught him by the arm.

“Wait! I have an idea.”

Thomas groaned.

“If it’s to head down the basement, you’re on your own.”

“No! I mean, not yet. I was just thinking...why don’t we do something fun? Play a little prank on them?”

“Like what?”

Ethan really was the only one there with a functioning brain, wasn’t he?

“We scare them. It shouldn’t be that hard. A bang on the door or a shout should be enough to make them piss themselves. And then we’ll win!”

“And then we can go home?” Thomas asked, seeming reluctant. Ethan nodded.

“Yeah, yeah! And then we go home. As soon as we’re declared the winners.”

Thomas shrugged but didn’t try to argue again. With that, they crept out of the bedroom and back out into the hall, creeping toward the bathroom. The faint light moving around inside of it was a telling sign that Rupert and Philip were still in there with their flashlights. Ethan just hoped that the floorboards wouldn’t creak too much as they approached. This was going to be good.

Ethan motioned to Thomas. One...two...thre-

“What are you guys doing?”

Thomas screamed, falling into Ethan, who nearly jumped a foot in the air and whirled around, swinging his flashlight wildly. It almost collided into the side of Rupert’s face, but the other boy dropped to the floor, avoiding the blow, and then jumped back up.

“Hey!” He snapped, looking at Ethan as though he was insane.

“Where did you come from?!” Ethan demanded.

“I was just downstairs,” Rupert said, scowling. The flashlight cast strange shadows on his face. “The bathroom sink is full of gross water and I accidentally got some on my sweater, so Phil and I went back to the living room to dry it off while we’re exploring.”

Philip waved from where he was behind Rupert.

“But…”

Ethan looked back to the bathroom. The light that he’d seen there just a minute ago was gone.

“I could have sworn that you were…”

“AUGH!”

A cry of panic from the story above them interrupted whatever excuse Rupert wasn’t about to give them and, for the second time in the last five minutes, Ethan almost jumped out of his skin.

“What was-”

Ethan pushed past Rupert before he could get the question out, running down the stairs as fast as he could and disappearing into the darkness. Thomas and Philip exchanged a terrified look and took off after him. They tripped on one of the stairs and tumbled all the way down the bottom level, landing in a heap and groaning in pain.

Ethan was the first to get back up, grabbing Thomas by his shirt to help him back up.

“What was that?!”

“A monster!” Philip practically screamed. “Or a ghost!”

“Phil, calm down!” Rupert hissed, pulling his friend close to try and cover his mouth. “If it’s a ghost, we don’t want it to hear us!”

“If it’s a ghost, it already knows we’re here!”

“We should get out of here!”

Thomas didn’t need to be told twice. He bolted before Ethan could finish speaking and Philip was close behind him. Ethan and Rupert took up the tail end, watching as they struggled to yank the door open.

“What are you guys doing -- why aren’t you opening it?”

“It won’t open! It’s stuck!”

“Move!”

Rupert shoved them out of the way, trying to knob for himself. It wouldn’t budge one way or the other. He banged his fist against it. It didn’t even tremble.

“There -- there’s a back door, right? Let’s go try that one.”

Together they ran, stumbling through the house with only the light of their flashlights to guide them. There were many other rooms back there -- too many. A parlor, a dining room, the kitchen, another bathroom...door after door and none of them led outside.

“What about this one?!” Thomas called, wrenching yet another one open. It popped like a broken seal, unleashing a rush of cold air. This one didn’t open to room, Ethan realized. This one opened to a stairwell.

“The basement.” Ethan choked out, his blood running as cold in his veins as the air on his veins. The maid was killed down there. Suddenly Ethan had a horrible vision...a terrifying inkling that they’d find more than a faded splotch of blood on the wall if they went down there.

“We should-”

A thundering noise took the words right out of Ethan’s mouth and sent the three of them reeling back. Footsteps. Getting closer and louder. Ethan suddenly felt as though he was going to be sick. He wanted to run but felt as though he was rooted to the spot. The maid was going to appear, he thought. A gruesome image filled his mind...a dead woman in a uniform, with her head half blown off. That was what was coming for them. He was sure of it.

“BOO!”

The scream came but no one else did. Ethan’s legs gave out the moment that she ducked into the room. He wasn’t the only one. Thomas was on the verge of tears and Philip jumped back three feet, his back hitting a wall. Rupert was the only who stayed standing, in front of the others and staring down at the stairs. Footsteps were coming up. Heavy and echoing.

“LEAVE US ALONE!” Ethan screamed at the sound of their approach. “PLEASE. PLEASE, I’LL LEAVE. DON’T KILL US.”

“We have to get out of here!. Screw the bet!” Philip said, rubbing the back of his head.

“I wanna go home!” Thomas whimpered.

“GO!”

The voice echoed, resounding like many people were screaming at once.

They screamed again and finally managed to peel themselves off of the floor, pushing and shoving on their way out the back. That door opened and they bolted outside, throwing themselves onto the ground, clutching fistfuls of the grass like someone was going to try and drag them back.

A “click” went off, along with a flash of light.

Ethan lifted his head and was startled to see… Alice?

“What the -”

“GOTCHA!”

They twisted against the ground, looking back at the house… and seeing Randall and Dee? Laughing at them?

“What are you doing here?” Rupert asked, sitting up and looking at the two of them like he’s not sure if he wants to strangle or hug them. “Was… were you guys doing all of that?”

“Yep!” Dee said, popping the “P” as she skipped out from the house. “Pretty good, huh?”

“You guys sure were scared,” Randall said, stepping out after her. He wasn’t smiling like Dee was, but he still seemed pleased with himself. “I thought it would take longer to scare you out.”

“We were in that basement forever,” Dee complained. “We gotta bring a board game next time.”

“WHAT?” Ethan shrieked, jumping up to his feet and looking between them. “You… you two… you were… WHAT?”

“Wow,” Philip said. “That was… mean.”

“So was telling us that we’re not as good as you,” Dee said, fixing him with a glare. “Now we’re even.”

“And braver,” Randall added, finally smiling. “We were in the basement the whole time. You guys didn’t even go down there.”

“...I guess you guys win, then.” Rupert said.

“Hell yeah, they did,” Alice said, taking another picture. “And we have the photos to prove it.”

The kids stared at each other uncertainly, for a moment, trying to decide if they were still mad… but then, all at once, they ran at each other. There was hugging and shoving and shouting. They squeezed Dee and ruffled Randall’s hair, demanding to know how they got there, how long they stayed, and how they did all of those scary things.

It was unanimously decided that Randall and Dee were deserving of the candy… which they graciously offered to share, after a little prodding from Randall to Deirdre.

And then, with much of the night left and their friendship back intact, they all returned to Ethan’s house to watch movies.

...And to make plans for next Halloween.


End file.
